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Chellians
The Chellians The Chellians are one of the less populous races in the known universe. Their home planet is Chellis, within the Aragone System. Overview The Chellians are a race of long lived beings from the isolated world of Chellis. With heights averaging between 5'6 to 7'1, they weigh less than the average human of simialr height. For example, an 6' Chellian of average build would weigh between 130-140lbs, as compared to the 165-185 an average built human would weigh. Appearance Chellian skin tone ranges through various shades of green, from a soft light pastel to a robust darker green. For an advanced race, the Chellians still exhibit some primitive social stratification based on skin tone, and it is openly spoken that lighter-skinned Chellians tend to both mature more quickly, and live longer, healthier lives, although ouside anthropolgists have not confirmed the anecdotal information as scientific fact. Life Span The Chellians are known for their long lives. An average Chellian will reach full maturity at approximately four centuries old, and will live for over 3 Millenia. Their homeworld, Chellis, would appear to be amongst the most habitable planets in the galaxy, However, the planet has significant naturally occuring amounts of arsenic in the atmosphere, which partially accounts for their distinctive skintone. The Chellians owe their relative isolation to the simple fact that most other races cannot set foot on Chellis without worry of a swift death, unless they don self-contained atmospheric suits for the entire duration of their visit. However, the Chellians and the other lifeforms on the planet evolved in the arsenic-rich environment, and their biology converts it into potasium and phosphorus via an unknown biochemical mechanism. This biochemical process also results in Chellians being resistant to many environmental and industial toxins. Negative Effects Although other races might perceive so prolonged life spans as a blessing, many Chellians view it as a curse. Chellians tend to do things more slowly than other races; resulting in a society slow to produce, and slower to adapt. Seen as perfectionists, a Chellian artist may spend fifty years on one painting. It may take two hundred years to design a new city hall, or hospital. Younger Chellians tend to be over-cautious; who wants to die at two hundred years old, and miss out on another 2500? Though the Chellians had reached a medieval technological stage when dinosaurs were still around on Earth, by the 25th century, their technology barely matched the other prevalent races in the known universe. Another negative side-effect of their extraordinaily long life spans is the sheer weight of boredom that overtakes older Chellians. Suicide is the number one cause of death among Chellians over 2,500 years old, and often, a Chellian might spend the last 15-20 years of their life composing thier own epitaph. Suicide among older members carries little social stigma, but prominent or important artisans are kept under supervison, in order to preserve their gifts for as long as possible. Place in Society Chellians occupy a prominent niche in galactic society. Once a Chellian decides on a profession, they become experts in them. Chellian made goods are among the finest in the galaxy, as they are near-flawless in their construction. Of course, these goods are highly expensive, due to the expanisve amount of time invested into the work and the multi-lifetimes of skill put into the items. Similarly expert, Chellian mercenaries though they are few and far between (as war is unknown on Chellis itself), are some of the most sought after and best paid soldiers in the galaxy, as centuries of experience can prove invaluable on the battlefield. In war, Chellians generally stay behind the scenes, prefering to use thier skills as tacticians and specialists, rather than expending themselves as foot soldiers. Lack of Status as a "Big Seven" race Chellians were never considered for entrance as one of the big seven of the ULP. Their entire planetary population is estimated at no more than one hundred million. As would be expected of such a long-lived race, reproductive rates are astonishingly slow amongst Chellians. An added hinderance is the unique biology of the Chellian female, who can mate no more than once every thirty years, and due to the narrow biological window of fertility among Chellians it's all but unheard of to have more than two children in a lifetime. Government and Culture The Chellians have little interest in interplanetary politics anyways. Chellian bears a strong resemblence to what Old Earth scholars refered to as a "Rice Culture", where the entire society contributes to the well-being of the society as a whole, and each member is freely accorded the basic necessities of life. As a result, the Corpers derisviely think of the Chellians as having formed the largest known communist government in existence. Chellians don't have a clue about the ideas or ideals of an Earth-Style of Communism; they simply and pragmatically decided long ago that it was in their best interests to work together for the benefit of all. There are no wars in the recorded history of Chellis, but this is likely a result of the destruction of all primitave records when their current societal structure was embraced. As a result, good portion of Chellians don't know what war is, and the few that do ply their trade offworld. Expansion to PAX The Chellians have a small moon outpost in the newly discovered PAX, with around eight thousand populating it and the accompanying spaceships. The outpost is near nothing worthwile, intentionally placed to avoid conflict with the greedy races. The Chellians have a single unified purpose, which is to observe and learn about the new system. However, Chellians are free men and women. They are under no laws, not recognizing ULP authority over them. Most follow common sense laws, and the laws of the area's they are in, out of respect and protection. One does not survive millenia by making enemies. Category:Races